Great Britain's men's curling team secured a crucial 9-2 victory over the United States in the Winter Olympics round-robin, keeping their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 record. The win came after steals in the first three ends and a dominant performance from skip Bruce Mouat. Both teams now await results from other matches to determine semifinal qualification.
The match took place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, during the 2026 Winter Olympics men's curling tournament. Team GB, led by skip Bruce Mouat, started strongly by stealing points in the first three ends, including four points in the third after a missed draw by U.S. skip Daniel Casper. This gave Great Britain a 6-0 lead before the United States scored two in the fifth end. Mouat then used the hammer in the sixth to score three more, prompting the U.S. to concede with the score at 9-2.
Bruce Mouat described the first end as 'a bit of a scary' but noted the team turned the momentum by forcing tricky shots on the U.S. He added, 'This is a horrible position to be in, honestly! Just having to watch other games and hope that the results are going our way is not the ideal position to be in.' Teammate Hammy McMillan mentioned refreshing his phone to check updates on nearby games, saying, 'In theory, only one team has to lose tomorrow for us to go into the play-offs.'
The U.S. team, finishing at 4-5, saw Casper reflect philosophically: 'It’s been an experience overall but a little frustrating at the end… As cool as it has been to experience everything here, it’s frustrating to not put out your best effort on the ice.' Their slim hopes now depend on tiebreakers, where they hold an advantage in last-stone draws.
Supporting results boosted Great Britain's chances: Canada defeated Italy 8-3, and Switzerland beat Norway 10-4. Both Italy and Norway, at 4-4, face tough final games against Canada and Switzerland, respectively. Mouat expressed calm confidence, stating, 'Maybe it’s time for me to go into the semis at 5-4 and then win a gold.'
Great Britain's women also won 8-7 against the U.S. earlier, with Rebecca Morrison's double takeout securing the victory.
